The Taste of Good Sake
by Beyond Doubt
Summary: Remembrance, visitations and sake. Hiko contemplates the life he had with his former deshi through a series of passing memories. Could looking back on past times serve as a replacement for a master's absent apprentice? Or is the real thing itself more valuable than he may think?
1. Chapter 1 ::: Recalling The Days

**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki. I claim no ownership over this wonderful series.

* * *

**The Taste of Good Sake**

By: Beyond Doubt

July 25th, 2012

* * *

Recalling The Days

The muscular man breathed a deep sigh.

It was a warm summer's night, swathed in darkness and silence except for the blinking fireflies and the low chiming of crickets heard far off in the distance. The midnight sky shined dimly against the scattered clouds moving across it's smooth surface. Hiko thought he would never get out of the hut for the night. He was relieved more than anything to have an opportuned time to himself to relax and gaze ahead to nothing but the thick expanse of forest.

His pottery had kept him cooped up in the house, taking out bits and pieces of his day without his even realizing it until his dark chesnut eyes captured a shaft of red light draining through the doorway a little too late.

Hiko's head bowed slightly. Three years was enough to make even the Hiten Mitsurugi swordsmaster feel old, though he would never find himself voicing such a thought aloud.

Lately, however, he found himself helplessly lost in the reminiscings of his past with the former deshi he had named Kenshin. The redhead had come off as an annoyance to the man at first, and for a while, Hiko had doubts that the boy -so frail and small- would ever be an accomplished heir to the Hiten Mitsurugi sword art. In the years dedicated to training, Kenshin had begun to prove the older swordsman wrong over time.

_It's too bad all those years of discipline in the style went to waste, _Hiko thought disappointedly, remembering the day the boy walked out of his life for a good remainder of fifteen years in an attempt to pave a way of peace with his sword.

He gradually sipped his sake without another thought to accompany the previous idea.

Fifteen years of making a living off the pottery he molded and existing as nothing more than a mountain hermit for a good portion of the time his deshi departed seemed like nothing to anyone looking in from the outside until a reason for it sprang forward to give an explanation for his way of life meaning.

Hiko never expected Kenshin to return.

Yet, somehow he found himself disbelieving his own skepticism entirely.

Had the concept been more convincing, Hiko would have been shocked when the redhead returned. However, an unexplainable feeling provoked the master into believing otherwise. Whether it was a false sense of hope or just a nagging feeling alone... he didn't think he'd ever truly know. The moment he felt that familiar flicker of ki ignite from behind him, there was no question that the baka had revisited his old master.

Hiko did not suppress the smirk that splayed across his lips. "And even after all those years toiling in the bloodshed of the Bakumatsu," he muttered. "He still had reason for coming back."

The grounds met upon Kenshin's arrival were once roughened by the buried resentment and long held frustration the swordsmaster had out for his ignortant deshi. Nevertheless, those grounds gradually flattened out as the following years of the redhead's return cushioned the old feelings away and brought forth a new outlook leading to his deshi's recent life.

Hiko had to admit, he could not have felt any happier to see the young man again, despite that he was no longer the little boy he once raised beneath his wing...

Tsuzuku...

* * *

**Authoress Note: **I know, it's a very weird idea. It spontaniously combusted in my brain as of this morning for no apparent reason... I'd actually thought to writing something like this for the past several months now. In all honesty, I'm happy with how it's turned out so far. I plan on making it a story rather than a one-shot like I previously had in mind. So, with that being said, I hope you'll stick around for the following chapters to come! Reviews on my progress thus far would be lovely to hear. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you.

-Beyond Doubt

P.S. The title of this fanfiction was inspired by Hiko's saying about sake that Kenshin thinks back on during his days as a Hitokiri in the manga. It seemed like an ideal title for this story not to mention a great saying too.

_"In spring, cherry blossoms by night. In summer, the stars. In autumn, the full moon. In winter, the snow. These are always enough to make sake delicious. If it tastes bad, that's proof that there's something sick inside you." ~ Seijuro Hiko XIII_


	2. Chapter 2 ::: Lonely Night

**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki. I claim no ownership over this wonderful series.

* * *

**The Taste of Good Sake**

By: Beyond Doubt

July 25th, 2012

* * *

Lonely Night

Hiko was not bothered by the amount of memories accumulating in his head.

_Let the memories come and go as they may, _he had decided after a while of sitting on a rock, stuck in his passing thoughts. He made it apparent from the creatures that dwelled in the pitch black of the forest surrounding him to the starry sky overhead that he could care less if such things troubled him. They were his thoughts and his alone. He had every right to think what he pleased.

A sudden waver of amusement crossed the swordsman's face.

Hiko recalled a night in particular that happened around the time he was trying to break his disciple in. It had been a night like this very one except that it had been all but quiet with his deshi around.

_"Shishou?"_

_The older dark-haired man idly chugging his sake aside the boy feigned annoyance at the shattered serenity the peaceful night had brought. Nonetheless, Hiko withdrew the jug from his mouth to look at Kenshin. _

_"What is it?" Hiko asked low and even regardless of his clear aggravation that his bliss had been disturbed. _

_Kenshin hesitated but gathered the courage to speak. He commented softly, "You drink a lot of sake for a swordsman..."_

_"Your point being?"_

_"Don't you ever get drunk like a normal person?"_

_Hiko's eyebrow twitched. _

_Upon seeing this, the young redhead threw his hands frantically in front of himself in a matter of defense. The last thing he wanted to do was anger his master. "N-not that you aren't normal enough shishou!"_

_"Oh yeah?" The man challenged, pushing down on his deshi's head with a hand, vein popping. "And who mentioned anything about me being _normal,_ baka?"_

_"OW! Shishou, stop! That really hurts!"_

_"I'll stop when you learn to quit asking stupid questions dummy! I get drunk like any other but I tend to hide it better than those pathetic wimps." Hiko ceased putting the burden of his hand on Kenshin's head and resumed his leisurely intake of sake. _

_Kenshin rubbed the top of his head with a scowl. "Must you always be so cruel, shishou?" he whimpered. _

_The older man countered his deshi's question with a remark of his own. "Must _you _always be so idiotic, baka?" _

_The young boy bit back a retort, sticking to nurturing his throbbing head as the previous calm of the night slowly crept back between them. _

As the scene faded from his mind's eye, Hiko chuckled with enjoyment and shook his head. "The baka has yet to learn his lesson, but at least he wasn't entirely rowdy every once in a while..."

His grin began to fall a little and his eyes searched the stars that did nothing more but twinkle back at him as he stared in mute reflection. _Sometimes, _admitted the man in his mind. _I really do miss that company my baka deshi offered me when he use to live here. _

A shooting star flitted across the large expanse of night sky. Hiko dropped his gaze. _The simple times when it was just me... and... my baka deshi..._

Tsuzuku...

* * *

**Authoress Note: **Thank you all for your wonderfully delightful reviews! I enjoyed reading each and every one as much as I did writing this chapter!

KenshinAdorer- I'm glad you love it! It does my heart good to know I've made something that you really enjoy :) And hopefully you have liked reading this chapter.

Scarred Sword Heart- And updated soon I did! As promised, this update was fast and very soon! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did ^^

Nanaille- Ah, so its caught your interest? That's great to hear! ^^ I can't wait to see where this story will take flight to also. I love the fact that as I write, the characters will literally come to life at my fingertips and guide me through their minds. Being a fan of Hiko and Kenshin stories too, I am hopeful that you found some amusement in this chapter like I have :)

Reviews are greatly appreciated! Don't be shy to give your thoughts. I'm always happy to hear them. Thank you.

-Beyond Doubt


	3. Chapter 3 ::: A Warm Feeling

**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki. I claim no ownership over this wonderful series.

* * *

**The Taste of Good Sake**

By: Beyond Doubt

July 30th, 2012

* * *

A Warm Feeling

_An unbearable gust of December wind scraped roughly against the exterior of the cottage, sending a freezing blast of air shooting through the covered window. Kenshin shivered under the intense chill, rubbing his aching hands together in a failed endeavor to warm them. _

_Hiko sighed and gulped down a cup of sake as if not noticing the dropping temperatures in the least. _

_Kenshin stared back at his master, teeth chattering and crimson eyebrows raised. "H-h-how c-c-can you not be c-c-cold S-S-Shishou?" He stammered. _

_"Huh?" _

_As if just acknowledging his deshi's existence, the man drew the clay cup from his lips and gazed at the quivering redhead. Hiko blinked, confused. 'What does he have to whine about now?' He knew he would dread the answer whether or not he wanted to hear it, so rather he stated what he had observed with his eyes in a matter-of-factly tone, "If you're that cold, baka, draw some firewood and stoke the hearth. There's no use huddling in a corner and catching cold from your lack of common sense."_

_Kenshin returned this with an exasperated glare but did as he was told much to his own unwillingness. _

_Hiko only followed the redhead with a steady gaze instead of getting up from his place on the floor to help him. It was another crucial part of his teachings that he tried and tried again to drill into the boy's brain. However, each time Kenshin would either forget or simply zone out during his master's lecturing. _

_'I'll have to find a better way of getting things through that thick skull of his sooner or later. Otherwise, he can forget about learning the rest of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryū's techniques...'_

_"Shishou?"_

_"What?" Hiko all but growled in irritancy at being forced from his state of thought as his eyes flickered over the redhead. _

_Kenshin said, "We're out of firewood."_

_The Hiten Mitsurugi master closed his eyes. "Then go chop some more, dummy" _

_The boy's expression changed to a mixture of bewilderment and disbelief. "You're not serious, are you?"_

_"I'll show you how serious I am when I kick my foot up your ass and send you soaring all the way to Mount Fuji!"_

_"But Shishou, it's cold out there!"_

_"And it's going to stay cold for the next few months baka, so I suggest you either get use to it or stop complaining and do something about it."_

_Arguing on the matter itself wasn't helping make the cabin any warmer. Only when the bickering came to a conclusion did Kenshin give in and stalked out of the hut in a fuming fit while Hiko laughed over the young boy's temper._

_It was not until later when Kenshin had yet to come back that the man grew worried. _

_'Surely he couldn't have strayed too far,' Hiko thought as he stepped outside, trudging through the thick stretch of snow. 'Once I get my hands on him, I'll make him regret forcing me out of my house to go wandering blindly through the snow.'_

_"Baka deshi!" He called._

_His loud booming voice was no match against the gusty winds that closed off any means of his call carrying on through the mountains. A vein popped on his forehead. 'Damned winter... I'll be lucky to find my baka deshi's frostbitten ass out here.'_

_Snow crunched audibly beneath the Hiko's feet. He strode along fairly quickly, maintaining his speed so as not to go too fast while he inspected the area. So far, no signs of the redhead could be seen. The odds of recovering Kenshin became very slim._

_Suddenly, a flash of ki shown from miles afar, striking the master swordsman like a pair of clashing blades. He stilled himself, the only sound belonging to his heart drumming against his ribcage. The owner's essence was severely dwindling. If nothing was done soon, there may not be a chance of the person surviving. _

_'There's no doubt...' Hiko's eyebrows furrowed. 'It's...my baka deshi's ki.'_

_He used his god-like speed to race through the bare forest as he tracked down the direction the ki he had sensed was emanating from. All the while, on the inside, Seijuro Hiko fought against a wave of concern that threatened to take control of his entire being. No, there was far deeper down that the master felt that not even he would admit to feeling... _

_And what he felt at that precise moment was fear. _

_A familiar crimson shade of hair showed up from beneath a piling heap of snow. A few bundles of wood lay sprawled to the side of the mound, forgotten among the collecting mass of unforgiving white. Releasing the intake of air he hadn't known he breathed in, Hiko swept to the patch of red without hesitation. _

_Upon closing in on the buried body, he recognized almost immediatly the bit of a blue gi that poked out from beneath the surface of the snow. Moving swiftly, he dug his large hand into the pile of frozen flakes and grabbed hold of the stiff fabric. Then, he hauled out the limp body of the unconscious redheaded boy only to have his eyes frozen at the sight of the child's pale face._

_'No... He can't be...'_

_He pressed an attentive ear to Kenshin's still body. A faded beating vibrated against the man's eardrums. Hiko sighed, taking relief in the fact that his deshi was alive but overcoming with dread at the odds that stacked against the small boy's survival. _

_'I need to get him back as soon as possible,' thought Hiko. He slung the light-weight body of the teenager over his shoulder and flew away across the frozen tundra of land, the only evidence of his presence being the deep holes imbedded in the snow by his plodding feet. _

_'Let him recover without further complications, Kami-sama... Let him live the life of a swordsman... And do not take away the only family I've known in my lifetime as a master...'_

_Hiko didn't think on the last uncharacteristic sentence passing into his thoughts as the wooden cabin came into his sights. Picking up momentum, he approached the small cottage and threw open the door. _

_After spending no more than an instant in the doorway, he made his way to the bedroom and laid Kenshin's motionless body against the futon spread out on the floor._

_Boxes and drawers were dragged out and rummaged through as the master searched for a few extra blankets besides his own and his deshi's. At last, he discovered another as he sat through another delving into one of the drawers and placed it at his side to be put to use. He climbed to his feet, turning and draping the three blankets over Kenshin's pint-sized form. _

_Hiko cast one last look at the boy's face before shaking his head and whirling around. "All this worrying won't help him recover any faster," he told himself. "I need some sake." _

_The following night, Hiko kept a silent vigil over Kenshin as he sat cross-legged by his side gulping down a mouthful of sake, a fire stoked to return warmth back into the boy's chilled body. He pulled the brim of the jug from his parted lips to stare down at his disciple's solemn expression. It was almost painful to see how calm the redhead looked. _

_'Maybe I can be a little harsh on him at times,' Hiko considered, snorting at the idea soon after. 'What am I thinking? Of course I am! If I was always so nice and sympathetic toward the twerp, he would never learn anything. Besides, it's best if I keep detached from forming close bonds with my baka deshi. Once his training is near completion, he will have only one last move to master. After that, I will be no more than an unpleasant memory to the idiot...'_

_It only made the Hiten Mitsurugi master wonder if his deshi would mourn his passing after the final technique had been accomplished. Sure, Hiko had forbidden himself from developing an attachment to the redhead, but that wouldn't stop Kenshin from growing a fondness toward the older man instead. There would be only one way to test his theory... and that would be to wait until the time came for their final confrontation. _

_'Only then will I truly know if I have a right to be troubled.'_

_A noisy rustling distracted Hiko from his thinking. Realizing that Kenshin had opened his violet eyes, the man put a hand to the boy's forehead as the flames from the fire danced in a crackling rhythm. _

_Kenshin warily directed his attention to his master with not a word arising from the depths of his throat to speak. Hiko removed his hand, placing it back over his kneecap. "It's about time you woke up," he murmured softly, crossing his arms over his chest and allowing his eyelids to close. "I was starting to think that you died or something." The mention of death made the pit in his stomach return, weighing heavily down like stone. _

_Kenshin gave a weak smile. "Gomenasai, Shishou," he apologized. "I didn't think that you would be worried if I slept in for a little longer...__"_

_"Baka!" Hiko's eyes snapped open and he growled out the insult he had used so many countless times to refer to the redhead as. "Of course I was worried! Whatever gave you the idea that I wouldn't be?"_

_"But Shishou—"_

_"Don't you _'but Shishou' _me dummy! Without my help, you could have very well died out there if it wasn't for me who came to your rescue. I was far more afraid of losing you than having you come down with a cold." _

_Kenshin's lavender orbs enlarged at his master's sudden outburst of confession. Once Hiko's mind focused on the words he had let escape his carefully secured thoughts, he couldn't believe what he had admitted straight out; especially to his own deshi of all people._

_'Damn it.'_

_"If you feel better now, then we will precede our training session bright and early tomorrow morning. Got that, baka?"_

_The teen nodded, sitting upright on the futon and shifting his body so he could face his master entirely. Arms outstretched, the young boy wrapped them around Hiko's muscled body in a warm hug. _

_"Hai, Shishou," said Kenshin. "And...Arigatou..."_

_Hiko tensed under his touch but relaxed, drawing the redhead closer, remembering the last time he had felt such a feeling igniting inside himself had been before he left his family to partake in the teachings of Hiten Mitsurugi __Ryū__. __It sent waves of reassurance through the man that his disciple would make it through. _

"Humph. Baka. Moments like that can plague a man's mind for all eternity..."

"But moments like that are worth keeping, are they not?"

Tsuzuku...

* * *

**Authoress Note: **I apologize for the long wait everyone. I've had a long and stressful week that I'd rather not find myself reliving anytime soon. Anyway, besides that, I hope that I can be relieved to know that you liked this next chapter as much as the last. I plan on adding a few more chapters, possibly making it either a six chapter or ten chapter story. I guess we'll have to see how far I can take it. I really wanted to experiment with Hiko's hidden soft side and couldn't think of a better way of doing that than writing about it in this chapter. I hope that I accomplished doing that without making him out of character. If I did make him seem a little sappy, I apologize. Now, on to the reviews...

KenshinAdorer- I know how you feel there. That would make for an interesting episode/manga chapter, wouldn't it? ^^

Nanaille- Hiko has to be one of the most challenging characters I've had to write for thus far to be truthfully honest. But I'm glad I've at least managed to do his character justice! Thank you :)

Thank you both for your kind reviews. I really appreciate the dedication you two have in reading my continuing story. Now, as for this chapter... you may have noticed that there is a cliff-hanger, yes? I had full intentions of making it a cliff-hanger from the start; I'd be lying if I said that I never did it purposely. As for the length of this chapter? I'm quite proud of how long I've managed to make it. The longer the better I always say! Reviews are kindly rewarded with gratitude, therefore, I highly encourage you do so after reading this chapter!

-Beyond Doubt


End file.
